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Chipotle Chicken Caesar Salad

Chipotle Caesar Salad is the spicy cousin to the classic version. It’s an utterly delicious change of pace from the normal. You can make it as mild or spicy as you would like. I wrote the recipe for a mild amount of spice, but I like as much heat as possible for more chipotle flavor. We’re a little addicted to Caesar Salad, but I can’t decide which one is my favorite. Let me know which one you like more!

Toast your pine nuts in a cast iron pan over medium-low heat until lightly golden, this will take 5-10 minutes.

While the pine nuts are toasting, prep the rest of your ingredients. I like to put half of the cheese in the salad and the other half in the dressing, it’s creamier that way.

We only need 1 chicken breast for the two of us, but I grill two for a head start on dinner in a day or two. To grill a chicken breast, preheat the grill on high. Salt the chicken with 1/2 Teaspoon of sea salt and place on the grill. Immediately lower the heat to medium. After about 5 minutes, you can rotate the chicken 90 degrees to achieve the ‘criss-cross’ grill marks. Cook about another 5 minutes before turning it over. Cook for a final 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken. If you have an instant read thermometer, it should read 165 degrees. You can also take the chicken off the grill and slice it in half to see if it’s done.

To plate your salad; toss the romaine and the dressing together in a bowl and divide onto serving plates. Scatter the grated parmesan and pine nuts over the greens and arrange the sliced, grilled chicken on the side of the plate. To serve family-style; toss the greens and dressing together and place in your serving dish. Scatter the parmesan, pine nuts, and diced chicken over the top. It’s not absolutely necessary to toss the salad in a different bowl, but it does keep your serving dish in nicer condition. You can also toss the salad right in the serving dish and clean up the sides of the bowl.

While this has similar flavors to a classic Caesar Salad, it’s definitely a dish unto itself. The lime juice adds a different dimension, and the chipotle adds a smoky chile depth that makes you know this is not your everyday Caesar! While we’re huge fans of classic Caesar Salad, this version holds it’s own in the race for favorite over the last few years. If you’re a chipotle fan, try this with Chipotle Grilled Chicken!

Instructions

Cut up the romaine into bite-sized pieces, wash and spin dry in a salad spinner.

For the dressing place all ingredients except the olive oil into the blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the blender, increasing the speed until completely emulsified (speed 5 on a Vita Mix).

You can toss all ingredients together and serve. Or, for a fancier presentation, toss the lettuce and dressing together until combined. Transfer the dressed lettuce into your serving bowl or onto plates. Scatter the pine nuts, parmesan, and sliced or diced chicken over the top of the salad. Serve immediately.

Notes

This serves four as a side salad without the chicken, or double the recipe for a dinner salad. We sometimes use 5 Teaspoons of chipotle for a really spicy salad.

Hi everyone! My name is Kari. I’m enjoying country living here in the Flathead Valley, Montana. I love to create mostly healthy recipes, and occasionally a chocolatey indulgence. I hope you find something inspirational; let me know what you think. Read more…